October 15/06 7:39 am - Downeast Cyclo-cross/Verge NECCS #2

Posted by Editor on 10/15/06

Downeast Cyclo-cross/Verge NECCS #2 - New Gloucester, Maine

Report courtesy organizer

The first couple of New England cyclo-cross swept the top of the podium for the weekend with wins in the Elite Women's and Men's races on day two of the Downeast Cyclo-cross, round #2 of the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-cross Series.

Lyne Bessette (Cyclo-crossworld.com) was well warmed and ready to go for the women's race after having competed in the men's B race just beforehand. After the start and the first tour in the woods, she and Katerina Nash (Luna) renewed their battles from yesterday (Saturday, October 14th) in the front of the field with the rest of the riders left to chase.

Unlike yesterday, however, Bessette could not get rid of Nash, as the two battled back and forth throughout the race. Bessette was in this position last weekend at Gloucester, when she was beaten by Georgia Gould after leading her the entire race. Bessette dared Nash to take the front and dictate the pace. The tactic almost backfired as Nash got a last minute gap the last lap in the woods, but Bessette closed quickly in the pit area and eventually stayed the course to the finish, where she topped the mountain bike rider on the sprint finish and took her second win on the weekend. Behind the lead pair was an equal battle between Mackenzie Dickey and Mo Bruno-Roy (Independent Fabrications). The two stayed put until the finish sprint where Dickey's sprinting ability got the best of Bruno and she took the final spot on the podium.

"I learned every lap where I had to be faster," said Bessette. "I had to be first into the last corner in order to win the sprint. Katerina was fast on the technical downhill but I stayed with her and got ahead to lead out the sprint, it worked out great."

The men's race was dictated by Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) early and his torrid pace ripped the front of the field apart on lap two, leaving a group of three: Johnson, Mark McCormack (Clif Bar), and Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly) at the front. But as the laps wore on Johnson just walked away from the group, using his downhill skills he dropped Powers and eventually McCormack to finish alone again and cap a statement weekend.

"I noticed I was going faster than Mark on the long descent so that's where I figured I could get away. Going into two-to-go I dropped the hammer going into the technical downhill," said Johnson.

While the top three was settled, the following groups were anything but, as the U-23 race resembled a yo-yo, bouncing and snapping back and forth with riders going back and forth. Series leader Jesse Anthony (Clif Bar) had a bad start and that left Jamey Driscoll (Fiordifrutta) in first (and 5th overall) and in position to take the series lead. But Driscoll suffered a series of flats in the middle of the race, allowing the Northwest contingent of Dan Neyens (Hagens-Berman LLP Cycling) and Morgan Schmitt (Hagens Berman LLP Cycling) to assume control of the U-23 race. Meanwhile a resurgent Anthony rebounded and blew by Driscoll, Toby Marzot (CL Noonan/Coast to Coast), and Will Dugan (BCA/Tosk) to grab the final U-23 podium spot and retain his overall lead by a hair over Schmitt.

The Verge New England Championship Cyclo-cross Series resumes in three weeks in the Nutmeg State as round 3 will be held at the Winding Trails Recreational Area in Farmington, Connecticut with the 8th Annual Chainbiter 8.0.